Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, told The Guardian on Saturday that Israel is breaching the Hague Tribunal's orders regarding the Gaza war. Hours later, in a tweet that sparked outrage, she wrote that "the victims in the October 7 massacre were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israeli oppression."
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Albanese referred to a statement by French President Emmanuel Macron, who claimed that the massacre four months ago was the largest against Jews in the current century. Following her assertion, she posted on the X platform that "France and the international community did nothing to prevent it," referring to "Israeli oppression."
In a clarification tweet published later that night, she wrote: "I regret that some interpreted my tweet as 'justifying' Hamas's crimes, which I have condemned strongly several times. I reject all forms of racism, including antisemitism. However, labeling these crimes as 'antisemitic' obscures the real reason they occurred."
Albanese has long been considered a controversial figure in Israel and has been denied entry into the Palestinian territories in the past as a result. Among other incidents, she spoke on a Zoom call at a conference of Hamas and Palestinian Jihad leaders in November 2022, telling senior terror organization figures: "You have the right to resist occupation."
She also hinted at her opposition to the two-state solution during her speech then, saying to the Gazan audience: "The West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza are what remains of historical Palestine. This language is not new, but it will help the international community feel uncomfortable with a two-state solution."